Parents of boy who drowned at holiday park blame low lighting for not seeing him struggle
The parents of a boy who drowned at a holiday park pool say they did not see him struggling because of the ‘low lighting’ and ‘barriers’.
Robin Caliskal, 5, died just one hour into his family holiday at Atlantic Reach Newquay in Cornwall yesterday after getting into trouble in the pool.
Emergency services rushed to the family park, but the schoolboy from Plymouth could not be saved.
He had been at the resort just an hour and had taken photos with his family minutes before the incident unfolded.
His dad, Cemal Caliskal, said their ‘cute and clever’ boy had initially been in the main pool with him.
He said Robin had asked to go to the kids’ pool with his mum Ferzane and six-month-old brother Renas who ‘he adored’.
Cemal says his boy got into trouble a short time later, but ‘low lighting’ and ‘barriers’ meant the parents didn’t notice immediately.
In a devastating tribute they said young Robin ‘loved hugs’ and a ‘very cute and clever’.
Mr Caliskal told CornwallLive: ‘He was intelligent and his handwriting, he could write with both hands.’
He said said: ‘I want every parent to see this story, this can’t happen again.
‘We are suffering pain and we don’t want any parents to have a similar feeling.
‘We just wanted to share this to stop it happening again, to any other parents and any other children.’
Atlantic Reach said it was not yet appropriate to comment on Robin’s death, other than to send condolences to the Caliskals.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they were now continuing to investigate the incident.
A spokesperson said: ‘Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a child at a holiday park in Newquay.
‘Police were informed by the ambulance service that a five-year-old boy had drowned in a swimming pool within Atlantic Reach Holiday Park, yesterday afternoon.
‘The boy is from the Plymouth area and his next of kin are aware, the death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is to be prepared for the coroner.
‘Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police along with representatives from Cornwall Council Health and Safety are undertaking enquiries in relation to the circumstances surrounding this death.’
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: ‘We were called at 17:06hrs on Monday 31 July to an incident in Newquay.
‘We sent a double-crewed land ambulance, an operations officer, a critical care car, a rapid response vehicle and a tactical commander.’
Atlantic Reach this afternoon told The Sun: ‘We do not feel it is appropriate to comment further at this stage, except to say our thoughts are with the family at this time.
‘Atlantic Reach is committed to supporting our guests and community, as well as our team that provided immediate assistance.
‘As such we respectfully ask that all those affected are given time and space at this distressing time.’
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